Jim opened his eyes in surprise. “That’s so! It must have been some other boat!”
“I think you mean you fell out of bed three times on one cruise,” Terry retorted.
Jim was the cook, and on the little galley stove he prepared an excellent meal at noontime. Rather than bother with the sails while eating, the boys had taken the canvas in, and were at present simply drifting idly with the tide. A few miles down the coast they could see the Midland Amusement beach, and Don proposed that they go there for a swim in the afternoon.
After the meal was over they cruised under motor power to the beach and, locking the companionway door, went ashore in the dinghy. They hired a bathhouse and soon emerged onto the beach in their trunks. From a long dock they dived into the water, amusing themselves for fully an hour in the sparkling water. Then, as the afternoon sun showed signs of going down rapidly, they dressed and climbed into the dinghy, pushing out from the shore.
“Hey, look!” exclaimed Terry. “There is someone on our boat.”
The boys stopped rowing and looked toward the sloop. A small rowboat was tied to the stern, and two men were walking around in the cockpit, peering down into the cabin through the portholes in the companionway.
“Wonder what they have in mind?” Jim said.
“Let’s get out there and see,” advised Don. Accordingly, they rowed with all their strength, until they were alongside.
The men had seen them coming, and one of them, a stocky individual with an unpleasant face, stepped to the side and smiled at them. Although the boys did not like the looks of either of them, they were polite and open in their manner.
“How d’you do?” the stocky individual hailed. “This your boat?”